company and inspiration

I thought he would be good company… Oil on board, 50cm x 50cm, 2009

My solo show is creeping up quickly, and I am painting as often as I can.  Squeezing in hours in the evening, grabbing the brushes as soon as the kids are dropped off at school.  For the most part it’s going well.  There have been hectic weeks where I have panicked about work being ready, and about the body of work hanging together as a whole.

So I havn’t been taking out quite enough time to recharge with the things that feed the creative soul, which is necessary to kick start the process.  It’s so easy to get  bound up and chase ones own tail isn’t it…

The last week has been mind-blowingly awesome though, with a pivotal change of mindset and a great idea for a new series that has been progressing slowly in the background.  I’ll blog that evolution soon, but in the meantime, as that has been growing I have been out and about.

A wander down a gallery-filled street with an artist friend that was very inspiring in terms of seeing works, and galleries, which helped to cement more than a few things about my work, process and professional aspirations.

A catch up with another friend at the Roslie Gascoigne retrospective, which was special not just for the chance to see the beautiful works, but to talk about the aftermath of the bushfires which have affected every Victorian in one way or another.

And the kindness of friends in helping me to work a bit longer in the daytime by entertaining my little ones.  We are all so blessed to have community and to engage and trust and let life in.  Everyone grows through living gently, giving a little more, and being gracious in accepting help. It feels like everyone is blossoming to me at the moment, and that’s a beautiful thing.